Hydrogels are water swollen three-dimensional polymeric networks that are used in a variety of biomedical applications including drug delivery agents, prosthetic devices and contact lenses. It is well established that the surface characteristics of hydrogels are determined by the orientation of hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties of the macromolecules. See, e.g., Ketelson et al., Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, Vol. 40, pages 1-9 (2005).
Because contact lenses are in intimate contact with the corneal surface and the human tear film, which is composed of proteins, lipids, inorganic cations (e.g., calcium) and mucins, the biocompatibility characteristics of the lenses are directly affected by the surface wettability properties of the hydrogel materials, from which the lenses are formed. In particular, evaluating the surface wettability properties of a lens material is important because such properties affect the stability of the tear film. To maintain a stable tear film, a contact lens material must have hydrophilic surface properties. If the contact lens material becomes hydrophobic, the tear film may be disrupted. To determine the wettability of a surface via an aqueous solution, such as human lacrimal fluid, i.e., tears, the contact angle is measured. The spreading of an aqueous fluid on a surface indicates that the surface is hydrophilic, thereby resulting in a low contact angle. The surface is hydrophobic if a drop of aqueous fluid does not spread, thereby resulting in a high contact angle.
A new family of contact lens materials, silicone hydrogels (“SiH”), is gradually replacing traditional hydro gels as the material of choice for extended wear soft contact lenses. Silicone hydrogel materials have significantly higher oxygen permeability than traditional soft lens hydrogels due to the presence of siloxane functional groups. Additionally, the presence of siloxane groups in SiH materials results in a lens surface having hydrophobic properties. An example of a SiH lens is the Acuvue Advance® contact lenses marketed by Johnson & Johnson.
Various techniques, for example, plasma surface treatments and incorporation of molecules within the lens material, have been utilized in order to provide a biocompatible, hydrophilic and wettable lens surface. Although modifying the surface can improve biocompatibility, it has also been reported that some silicone hydrogel materials accumulate lipids over time, and that this build-up may result in a decrease in the wettability of the silicone hydrogel lens material and surface.
The wettability characteristics of the surfaces of contact lenses may also be modified by reducing the amount of hydrophobization on the surfaces. Surfactants have been utilized in prior compositions for treating contact lenses, for example poloxamers and poloxamines, such as the Pluronic® and Tetronic® brands of surfactants, which are poly(oxyethylene)-poly(oxypropylene) (“PEO-PPO”) block copolymers, have been used extensively in prior products utilized to treat contact lenses. However, such surfactants do not wet SiH lenses efficiently.
British Patent No. 722,746 (Lundsted) discloses surface active compounds derived from higher α, β alkylene oxides.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,828,345 (Spriggs) discloses hydroxypolyethylene diethers of polyoxybutylene glycols.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,451 (Schmolka) discloses amphoteric surfactant gels containing a polyoxybutylene-polyoxyethylene block copolymer.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for new methods and compositions for modifying silicone hydrogel lens materials to impart improved surface wetting and biocompatibility characteristics during wear. The present invention is directed to satisfying this need.